More have been impacted by closure of a GF business
The non-profit organization The North Dakota Association of the Blind was also impacted by the restaurant closing.
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) -It has come to light that more people and businesses are being impacted by the closure of a Grand Forks business.
Bigfoot Bar and Grill, which was operated out of the Ramada Inn in Grand Forks, closed earlier this year. Many people, businesses, and organizations paid money to Bigfoot for all of their events or wedding plans.
Andrea Peltier, a bride-to-be, was forced to cancel her wedding completely. Peltier says her fiance proposed to her on her birthday last March. Only wanting a small wedding she says she booked the Ramada Inn and Bigfoot for the venue and catering.
Nearly a year later, Peltier says she called to finalize the details, but ran into roadblocks. She then found out that she was not going to have a wedding because Bigfoot was no longer open. Just like many of those impacted, she too found out on social media about the closure.
“I’m friends with my DJ. I saw that he was saying that karaoke was going to be ending and that Bigfoot BBQ was closing its doors,” she said.
Making matters worse, Peltier says she later learned there was never an event scheduled for the day of her wedding, which was supposed to be June 3.
“I’m frustrated besides being upset that my day was canceled. Something that I thought would be so perfect and that I didn’t have to worry about turned out to be a disaster,” said Peltier.
Peltier paid more than $2,000 for her wedding deposit. She says she is considering having a much more intimate ceremony, but says she has lost trust in the idea of planning a wedding again.
“I just don’t understand why you would do it,” said Peltier. “Money makes people greedy and that’s exactly what you’re being. You ruined someone else’s perfect day for what, for what?”
The non-profit organization The North Dakota Association of the Blind was also impacted by the restaurant closing. NDAB hosts an annual convention. Each year, the convention travels to different cities across the state. This year, it’s in Grand Forks in June. The convention was expected to be held at the Ramada Inn with catering from Bigfoot.
As time passed, Trampes Brown, the president of the NDAB Board of Directors says communication started to become very minimal. In February, he says the non-profit was informed that Bigfoot had closed.
“We were told they were no longer in business. They wouldn’t be there,” Brown said. “At that time, we were told we weren’t going to be the only ones not getting our event taken care of and that many people had lost their deposit.”
NDAB is a 100% volunteer organization as there are no paid staff. Brown says they try to be the most cost-conscious when organizing this event. He says they lost out on a few hundred dollars.
“Not that $778, which was our deposit amount, is a gigantic amount of money, but at the same time we don’t want to be throwing that away,” said Brown.
The organization typically sees about 50 to 60 people attending its yearly conventions. Brown says due to being forced to move its convention to a new venue, the price of the hotel rooms and event space was more expensive. He says because of the higher cost, many people have chosen not to attend.
NDAB and Peltier are both fighting to get their money back or to see to it that no one else gets taken advantage of. The non-profit has filed a complaint with the Secretary of State’s Office. Peltier is working with the Attorney General’s Office to mediate with the restaurant’s owner. Peltier says following the response to the mediation, she will decide if legal action will be taken.
The owner of the Ramada Inn told Valley News Live that Ty Cox, the owner of Bigfoot Bar and Grill left unexpectedly and still owes rent. Ramada’s owner says he has since filed a lawsuit against Cox.
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